Introduced in generation four, with the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games, Purugly is a monotype normal Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves from Glameow once it reaches the level threshold. Purugly is classified by the Pokedex as the “Tiger Cat Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Purugly’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Purugly.
About Purugly
As a generation four Pokemon, Purugly first appeared in the Diamond and Pearl season of the anime in the episode Double Team Turnover!. In this episode, Team Galactic Admin Mars uses a Purugly against Ash in battle. The Pokedex mentions how hostile Purugly can be and how it will often intrude into another Pokemon’s nest to claim it as its own.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl Double Team Turnover! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Evolves from Glameow, not known to evolve into another Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 38 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | To make itself appear intimidatingly beefy, it tightly cinches its waist with its twin tails. |
Purugly Base Stats
| HP | 71 |
| ATTACK | 82 |
| DEFENCE | 64 |
| SP. ATTACK | 64 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 59 |
| SPEED | 112 |
| TOTAL | 452 |
Appearance
Purugly is a large gray and white Pokemon that resembles a large cat. Most of its body is gray or white with purple accents found around its body. It has yellow eyes with black pupils and two scraggly pairs of whiskers on either side of its mouth. Its eyelids themselves are purple and it has two pointed fangs that can be seen in Purugly’s mouth. Its tail is normally cinched around its waist to make Purugly seem less robust. Purugly is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 3 inches, or 1 meter, tall.
Behavior
Purugly uses its prodigious size to intimidate its opponents and it can also make itself seem larger by cinching its waist in a particular way. They are common to see near urban areas and woodlands, but their presence is not always welcome. Purugly are known to barge into other Pokemon’s nests and take it for themselves. It is also known to lock eyes with people and can stare for a prolonged time. The Pokedex mentions its general brutish behavior as well as Purugly’s uses for its tail.
Strengths and Weaknesses
While Purugly’s base statline is subpar in many ways, it does have a powerful speed stat. Its physical attack is stronger than its special attack but Purugly does not present a strong defensive lineup of stats. It has weak defensive stats and a relatively low health pool making it not suited for defensive play. As a monotype normal Pokemon, Purugly takes 2x damage from fighting type moves. It is immune to ghost type moves but it has no resistances to any type in the franchise.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Purugly can be utilized as an offensive Pokemon. Its high speed and decent attack make it a powerful revenge attacker, using it to clean up low health Pokemon. With its Defiant ability, Purugly can be difficult to slow down. Using a Life Orb or Silk Scarf, as a held item, can boost Purugly’s damage to be more significant. Consider running Fake Out, Return, Knock Off/Sucker Punch, and U-Turn. With this moveset, Purugly can get a free flinch on your opponent’s Pokemon and pivot into a more defensive Pokemon. You can also use Return or Knock Off/Sucker Punch to knock out an opposing Pokemon early.
| Fake Out | Return |
| Knock Off/Sucker Punch | U-Turn |
How to Catch Purugly in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Purugly in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Glameow and eventually evolve it into Purugly. Like most evolved forms, its base evolution spawns more commonly in the wild and thus is easier to encounter. You can find Glameow spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near cities, neighborhoods, parks, and other residential or grassy areas. Glameow can also be hatched from 5 km eggs but unfortunately, neither Glameow or Purugly have all appeared as raid bosses at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve Glameow into a Purugly it will take 50 candies.
Trivia
- The inspiration for Purugly’s design comes from wild tiger cats. It also bears a resemblance to an overweight tabby cat.
- The name Purugly is a combination of the words purr and ugly.
FAQ
How good is Purugly?
Purugly can be a good Pokemon if it is built correctly. You will want to take advantage of its high speed and decent physical attack to get through your opponent’s Pokemon. Use a mix of priority moves and moves like U-Turn to efficiently get more moves than your opponents. It can suffer in prolonged battles, so try to finish battles quickly.
What does Purugly evolve into?
Purugly is the final evolution of its two stage evolution line. It does not evolve further. You can evolve a Glameow into a Purugly by having it reach level 38. There are no unique conditions to fulfill for this evolution and Glameow will begin to evolve once it reaches the level threshold. Once your Glameow evolves into Purugly you can move on to collect other Pokemon.
What type of Pokemon is Purugly?
The Pokedex classifies Purugly as the “Tiger Cat Pokemon”. It is a monotype normal Pokemon. Despite the many dark and psychic type moves that Purugly can learn naturally, it benefits more from using normal type moves.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Tiger Cat Pokemon”. While Purugly’s involvement in competitive play is limited, Purugly can perform as a useful offensive Pokemon. With access to many offensive moves, priority, and flinching moves, Purugly can provide a lot of utility to your team. The damage from Purugly can be considerable. Reserve a slot on your team for Purugly if you want an aggressive normal type Pokemon.
